


I've been waiting for you.

by catieGirl



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Drug Addiction, F/F, F/M, Gamzee getting his hair brushed, Humanstuck, M/M, Mental Instability, Misunderstandings, Recreational Drug Use, please don't hate my fic just because of an OC, two naked people in one tub
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-19
Updated: 2014-08-26
Packaged: 2017-11-21 13:25:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/598258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catieGirl/pseuds/catieGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"G-gamzee, I... I love you, okay?"</p><p>"That's a good motherfuckin' thing, Tavbro."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Out Of The Gutter

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for giving me a chance! I hope I surpass your expectations.

I walked out of my apartment, glumly locking the door behind me, and shuffled to the stairs. It's hard motherfuckin' work trying to be sober and hold down a shitty fuckin' job. Even Karkat's getting tired of me bitching all the time.  
  
"Freak." Hissed the neighbor kid, Caliborn. His sister's all up and a cool kid, but he's just a little asshole.  
  
 **Kill him.**  
  
 _Shut up, motherfucker._  
  
I walked down the stairs quickly, trying to not be late.  
  
"Makara, your fucking rent is late." snapped my landlord.  
  
 **Kill that motherfucker.**  
  
 _I can't just up and fuckin' kill everyone, you shitty-ass voice in my head._  
  
"Sorry, Mr. Glish. I'll get it to you as soon as I fuckin' can." I responded.  
  
"You better, or I'm gonna evict you and sell your shit." His phone rang. I slipped out as he answers. "Edgar N. Glish, how can I help you."  
  
~~~  
  
I stood in the kitchen, mopping. There wasn't actually any dirt or anything, but I had nothing else to motherfuckin' do. Karkat was out with his motherfuckin' boyfriend, and I didn't have any other friends. I dropped the mop and shuffled into my room, fallin' across my bed, and stared blankly at the ceiling. I didn't want to eat anything, not after working in a kitchen all day. No good bands were in town. The library was up and fuckin' closed, so I couldn't go hop on the internet or stare at the cute fucker who worked behind the check-out desk. Everything fuckin' sucked.  
  
 **Go get drunk, you piece of shit.**  
  
I sighed. For once, a good idea from the voice in my head.  
  
~~~  
  
I stumbled down the street, my vision going black at the edges. Everything hurt, my stomach had the acidy burn of hunger, my head had the pounding throb of a motherfucking hangover, and my limbs felt like they were barely fucking there. My eyes fell shut as my legs gave out.  
  
"Hey!" A distant female voice wormed its way into my head, and I felt arms catch me, lowering my head gently onto the pavement.  
  
 **She seems nice. Fuck her, then kill everyone else.**  
  
Shut the fuck up! I screamed mentally, as the woman continued.  
  
"Equius, help me get him home. Lift, don't grab, okay? Deep breaths and concentrate. You can do this."  
  
"Yes, Miss Mo." Different arms, thicker ones, probably that Equius motherfucker, slid under me. I was lifted, and winced at how hard the motherfucker was squeezing my leg. "Oh dear!"  
  
"Equius, calm down, and think of Nepeta." The pressure lessened. "Good, okay, when you call Nepeta tonight, and she asks how your night was, what will you tell her?"  
  
"That I went to the gym, and on the walk back I helped a young man back to the house, and successfully controlled my strength and broke nothing."  
  
"Good, now let's get home so you can tell her, come on." The woman, Mo, I guess, had a soothing voice, and I fell asleep.  
  
~~~  
  
I woke up a little later and groaned. I sat up, rubbing my head. When I opened my eyes and looked around at the room, I saw that there was a chick curled up in a recliner, looking at me. She was holding a book, so I guess she was reading. "Yo, motherfucker." I said, blinking. My eyes felt sandy. "Where the fuck am I?"  
  
"Sacred Heart Medical Assistance Intermediary Housing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh, I guess that WAS pretty, uh... Never mind." She waved her hand as though to clear away what she'd just said. "This is my home. It started with just me and my friend Aradia, and then we started taking others in. After a while, it sort of turned into a life redemption thing. I'll show you around later, after we get you taken care of here. And, of course, after we talk and determine if you actually want to be here." She giggled, and it was motherfucking precious. "Really, though, we should start from the very beginning. My name is Madeline O'Hare, but everyone who knows me calls me Mo. Who are you?"  
  
"Gamzee Makara." I answered. "So what the fuck is up around here?"  
  
"Well," She looked up, thinking. "This place we're in is the, uh, experimental outpatient housing facility for the hospital down the street. We convinced them to let us try living outside the hospital, but nearby so they can check on us easily, and they helped me and Aradia find this place. The people who live here have no other place to go, for various reasons, usually stemming from an addiction or an illness. I leave it up to the residents to explain to each other why they're here. We do have people coming in and out all the time, people we've helped out coming back to check in. All I care about is everyone being polite to one another and improving their lives. So the question is, do you have anywhere else to go?" She leaned forward and looked at me seriously, and I thought. I thought about back rent, and a furious landlord, and hateful neighbors, and loneliness.  
  
"No, I motherfuckin' don't." I answered, and she sighed and shook her head, thick red curls bouncing around like little crimson miracles.  
  
"Come with me." She stood, and I got to my feet slowly. "Do you want to be assigned a room, or would you prefer to pick it yourself?"  
  
"I don't give a fuck where I sleep, motherfucker. So long as I have a fuckin' place to sleep."  
  
"Well then. Come with me." She walked out, and I shuffled after her down the stairs.  
  
"Hey Mo!" She turned and smiled at a short girl with long wavy hair.  
  
"Hey, Feferi. Eridan or Sollux?" Mo asked, and Feferi blushed.  
  
"Oh, um, Sollux. I saw Eridan yesterday and he was so glubbing mean about Sollux." Mo put her arm around the shorter girl.  
  
"Eridan's goin' through some stuff. He feels threatened by Sollux, and desperately needs something steady in his life. That said, give him some time. If I know him, he'll apologize tomorrow. " She squeezed briefly, and Feferi smiled.  
  
"I'd better go." She skipped off down the hallway. Mo continued down the stairs. She ran through a door, and when I passed through it, it turned out to be a small study. Mo was standing at a table, staring down. I stood in the doorway.  
  
"Okay... It looks like we have an open room. Follow me." I followed her down the hall, and she showed me a small room that was furnished. "Now, if you have furniture, we can get this stuff moved out." She looked at me inquisitively. I shook my head. "Alright. I can getsomeone to help you move out of your previous residence ad in here if you'd like. Or would you prefer doing it yourself?"  
  
"Why are you doin' this, motherfucker?" I asked, and even to me my voice sounded a little harsh. She looked at me, a little confused.  
  
"For you specifically, or just in general?"  
  
"For all you know, I could be a serial killer or a fuckin' rapist."  
  
"Well, if either of those things turns out to be true, I won't hesitate to turn you in to the police, but you seemed like you needed a lift out of the gutter." She shrugged delicate-looking shoulders. "If you don't want this, I can always just give you a ride home." She turned and started toward the door.  
  
"Wait." She turned and looked at me. I sighed. "Alright, little Mo-fo. I'll stay here. But if I up and start to feel like I should motherfuckin' bail, I-"  
  
"If you want to leave, you're free to do so, but don't feel afraid to let me know if I can help in any way." She smiled up at me, and I smiled back.  
  
Miracles. "Alright, I'll move in."


	2. A Day In Town: Meeting Tavros

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Typing Gamzee's quirk makes me want to beat my head into a wall.

True to her motherfuckin' word, Mo got some tall motherfucker to help me move. He all up and reminded me of the cute dude at the library. He said his name was Rufioh, and that he worked on a farm. We talked the whole way back to my shitty apartment, and all the way back. It all up and felt nice to have a motherfucker to talk to.

When we got back, Mo came in and talked to Rufioh for a bit in whispers in the corner. She smiled at him, and he laughed again, hugged her and left. She came over and started helping me put stuff away. We were quiet for a while.

"So, Gamzee?" Mo began, and looked over at her.

"Yeah?"

"Since you live here now, I think we should talk about the rules here." She sat on the bed, and I sat next to her.

"Lay 'em on me, motherfucker."

"Rule one, no non-prescription drugs are allowed on the property." I frowned.

"Some mighty unmirthful things happen when I stay sober."

"Look, I'm not your mother, I'm just your landlady and, hopefully eventually, your friend. If you want to do drugs, I can't really stop you. Just do it someplace else. Of course, it is easier to get a job and support yourself if you aren't failing drug tests all the time. " She shrugged. "Just a thought. Rule two, you need to have or be looking for either a job or higher education. I'd love to let everyone just stay here and chill all the time, but shit's expensive, and I can't let people stay here who aren't trying their best to have a good life."

"I don't wanna keep working at the shitty fast food dump."

"Hey, I hear ya, babe," She responded easily, shrugging. "But I just ask that you stay there doing your best until you find a job you like." 

"Alright, I can do that."

"Third, you have to do your own laundry and clean your own room." She smiled. "That's all." She stood up and walked to the door, crimson curls bouncing like little motherfuckin' bunny rabbits as she looks around the room.

"Cool. Hey, you goin' into town today?"

"No, but I am tomorrow. Would you like to go with me?"

"Yeah, motherfucker. Let me know what's up." She winked at me and did finger pistols. 

"Gotcha, bro." She turned and walked out of my room and as she closed the door she yelled, "GODDAMMIT ERIDAN!" I leaned back on my bed and prepared to chill, when my phone vibrated.

-HEY FUCKASS, WHY ARE YOU NOT AT YOUR APARTMENT? YOU DON'T FUCKING WORK TODAY!-

-HeY, bRo. wHaT'S uP?-

-I JUST FUCKING SAID, CROTCHGOBBLER! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?-

-I gOt A nEw MoThErFuCkIn' pLaCe. fUcKiN aPaRtMeNt WaS hOlDiN mE bAcK. i wAsN'T MoThErFuCkIn' HaPpY-

-YOUR IDIOCY NEVER FAILS TO ASTONISH ME. NO, REALLY, I AM JUST GAGGING ON YOUR STUPIDITY RIGHT NOW, LIKE IT'S THAT FUCKING RIDICULOUS. YOU FUCKING MOVED WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY OVER FUCKING NIGHT BECAUSE-

-YOU WEREN'T FUCKING HAPPY??-

-HoNk-

-WELL WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU LIVING NOW?-

-SaCrEd HeArT mEdIcAl AsSiStAnCe InTeRmEdIaRy HoUsInG, DoWn ThE mOtHeRfUcKiN' RoAd FrOm ThE mOtHeRfUcKiN' HoSpItAl-

-JESUS FUCK GAMZEE WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU THERE? WAIT- DON'T TELL ME. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT WHEN I GET THERE.-

-WhAt?-

-I'LL BE THERE IN A FUCKING HOUR-

Sure enough, an hour later, there was a knock on my door. I opened it and saw a short motherfucker with a purple streak in his hair standing there, looking down the hall. There was some yelling coming from the direction of the front door, but I figured I'd better start with the tiny dude in front of me.

"Yo, motherfucker." The guy in front of me looked up and me and took a step back, gulping hastily.

"Hello," He said, "I am Eridan Ampora, one a your housemates." He flung his scarf over his shoulder pompously. "I wwanted ta come an' meet you, since wwe're going ta be livvin' together."

"Bullthit, Ampora, you came becauthe Mo athked you too." Snarked a dude in two-tone sunglasses.

"Shut the fuck up, Sol." Eridan snarled back, then turned to me. "Howwewer, yes, Mo asked for you." He turned and absconded upstairs, probably to his motherfuckin' room. I went to go see what Mo wanted, and found her in the front hall with Karkat and John.

"-MY BEST FUCKING FRIEND IS HERE SOMEWHERE AND I DEMAND TO SEE HIM!" Karkat yelled, waving his arms around as John stood behind him, trying to calm him and failing.

"LOOK, DUMBASS, UNTIL I GET THE LIST OF PEOPLE HE'S NOT COOL WITH HANGING OUT WITH, I CAN'T LET ANY MOTHERFUCKERS GO SEE HIM!" Mo screamed, getting all up and into Karbro's motherfuckin' face. I'd only known her one miraculous day, but judging by how red Karkat's face was, this was going to get physical real motherfuckin' quick.

"Hey, motherfuckers. What're y'all gettin' your scream on for?" I asked, and they both stopped yelling and looked at me.

"GAMZEE, TELL THIS FUCKASS TO LET ME COME IN!"

"Gamzee, are you cool with hanging out with this guy?" Mo asked, her voice already calm. I saw a couple of motherfuckers exchanging looks with each other. I put my hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, man, he's cool, him and his boyfriend." I responded, and she sighed, then smiled. 

"Then when you have a chance can you make a list of people you don't want me to let in? To prevent any," She glared at Karkat, "mishaps in the future."

"Yeah, I can all up and do that." I said, papping her shoulder. She nodded, and I turned around to lead Karkat and his boyfriend back to my room.

Once we were all in, John shut the door behind him, and Karkat flopped down on my bed. "Who was that bitch?"

"That motherfucker is Mo, she found me in the street blacked out and brought me here."

"She... found you in the gutter. And brought you home."

"Yeah, it was a motherfuckin' miracle." I smiled, and he sighed.

"That's great, Gamzee!" John said cheerfully, rubbing Karkat's shoulder. Karkat just looks around. 

"How are you gonna afford this place? It's not exactly a shithole."

"Mo said one of the motherfuckers that lives here pays most of the motherfuckin' rent, and we all just gotta chip in what we can." I replied, and Karkat shook his head.

"It sounds like a fucking trap. Be careful, okay?"

"Can do, Karbro." I said, and then there was a knock on the door. John opened it, and the motherfucker from earlier was there, Sollux I thought.

"Hey, douthebag, Mo wantth to know if your friendth are gonna eat here for dinner." He asked, and I looked at Karkat and John. Karkat also looked at John.

"I'm ready to go." He said, and John beamed at him.

"I've been wanting to make dinner for you for, like a week now." John bubbled, leading Karkat out the door.

Karkat called him an idiot, but I could tell the bouncy motherfucker made my bro happy. Good.

I went down the hall to the kitchen to get my look on at what was for dinner. I found Mo rushing around. "Hey, little Mo-fo." She turned and saw me.

"Hey, dude."

"Need some motherfuckin' help in here? You seem like you're all up to your neck in food." I walked in, grabbing an apron that was just barely too short for me. 

"Well, you know how it is with large families," She giggled, "Everyone wants something special, and ya can't please everyone, and one person is vegan, and two others are allergic to something, and Eridan only admits ta likin' seafood, the choosy bastard." She shook her head cheerily. "But, you do what you can." She looked at me. "Ya wanna help, bro? Stand over there and wash dishes. Someone was supposed to have done it already, but everyone was conveniently busy." She crossed the kitchen again and stirred a pot while also looking into the oven and peepin' at whatever most of us were having for dinner. I got to work, all too motherfuckin' happy to help this cheerful chick who thoughtlessly accepted me into what she called her motherfuckin' family.

~~~

The next day, I was chillin' in the front room with a couple of my housemates, watchin' some motherfuckin' show, when Mo poked her head in. "Hey, bro, you ready to go to town?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Be right out." I told her as I got up, and she waited in the doorway for me and walked me outside. Then I looked over at her. Her curls were parted into two little puffy balls on either side of her head, and she was wearing black shoes and white knee socks with black shorts and a black hoodie over a white teeshirt. She looked like a little fuckin' panda. "Hey, you look all dressed up and shit. You got a motherfuckin' date or something?"

"Nah, man," She blushed and scratched the back of her head. "I'm gonna go get my hair done and I always feel weird if I don't dress up for it. Weird, huh?" She slumped a little, and I laughed.

"Naw, motherfucker, it ain't weird, it's unique as shit! I bet barbers and shit love seein' you walk into their shops, huh?" She blushed again, and laughed a little. 

"Thanks, Gamz. So, where'd you wanna go?" She asked as she unlocked the door of her truck.

"Library, man." I answered, and she nodded. 

"I gotta stop in there anyway, pick up some books for the kids." She said conversationally as she cranked the motor and started down the road.

"You got motherfuckin' kids, sis?"

"Naw, but one of the people who stays with us, Kanaya, she volunteers in the pediatric ward at the hospital a lot, so sometimes I check out books for her to read to the kids." She responded evenly. 

"Wicked."

We got to the library before too long, and sure enough, Mo went off to the children's section. I went looking for Cute Library Kid. I found him sitting at one of the study tables, forehead furrowed in worry. I walked over and plunked down next to him, drawing his attention. I grinned my widest grin. "Hey, motherfucker, what's up?" He jumped.

"Uh, I... I'm just st-studying for my biology t-test, and I'm k-kinda really busy."

"Aw, can't you spare just one miraculous minute to get your talk on, bro?"

"I really w-wish I could, but, um, this t-test is most of my grade. I-if I fail, I'll have to, uh, retake the whole s-semester."

"Sounds wicked stressful, bro."

"Y-yeah, but so worth it." He got a faraway look in his pretty brown eyes, as he started talking about animals. I couldn't bring myself to hear what he was actually saying, because all I could think about was how motherfucking miraculous it was to finally get to talk to him.

When he stopped talking, I realized I'd just been staring at him, so I tried to think fast. "Maybe just a little fuckin' chat to refresh your think pan so you ain't up and drowning in motherfuckin' knowledge?" I wheedled, and he smiled.

"Okay, man. I'm Tavros Nitram, b-by the way." He held out his hand, and I shook it. It was tiny compared to mine, but he had long fingers.

**Fuck him. Fuck him hard and leave him crying in bed.**

I decided not to digify that horseshit with a response. "Gamzee Makara, bro." I grinned at him again, and he grinned back this time. Shortly after, Mo showed up behind Cute Library Boy Tavros. He was looking down at the time, so when she mouthed 'Should I come back later' at me, I nodded at her without being seen. She gave me a thumbs up.

We kicked the wicked shit for a while, before Mo came back, this time not stopping until she was at the table. "Hey, guys." She said, sitting on the edge of the table. Tavbro looked at her and grinned.

"Hey, Mo. W-what's up?" They fistbumped, and I became kinda jealous of Mo. "Your hair is, uh, two different colors." I looked at her hair again and sure enough, it was black on one side, and copper on the other. She reached up and touched it.

"Yeah, I wanna see if he'll even notice." Her voice was soft, and I wondered who she was talking about. "Welp, as fun as all this," She gestured at the air between me and Tavbro, "Surely was, I have to take him home now." I sighed, and so did Tavros, and then he blushed and I chuckled. He was one cute motherfucker. I wrote down my number and slid it to him.

"Call me if you ever need another wicked chat to clear your think pan, bro."

"S-sure... Bro." He smiled shyly at me, and I woulda leaned down and kissed his adorable fucking face if Mo hadn't grabbed my arm then and dragged me off.

**Kill Mo. She's stopping you from being with that sweet piece of ass.**

"Come on, bro," She said then. "Always leave 'em wantin' more." She grinned at me, so I grinned back. "That's the spirit. I'm sure Tavbro will call you soon." 

"What if he motherfuckin' doesn't?"

"He will." She assured me, and we got in the car and drove home. She seemed to be pretty chill over there, and I didn't wanna ruin it for her so I didn't say a motherfuckin' word the whole way home.

When we parked in front of the house, that Sollux motherfucker was coming out with the little Feferi girl on his arm. He was carrying a huge pile of motherfuckin' paper. We got out of Mo's truck and walked up the steps, where Sollux was waiting for us.

"I got those applicationth you athked me to print out." He lisped. "FF and I are headed out to a movie, we'll be back before dinner." Mo took the stack and ruffled his hair.

"Later, kids."

"Thut up." Sollux replies as he and Fef walk to her car, but he smiled.

I went back to my room and fell across my motherfuckin' bed, and I was out like like a motherfuckin' light before my head even hit the pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know what you think by sending me an ask on my Tumblr! rebuildingwithmyhayseed.tumblr.com


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SOOO sorry this took so long. So terribly sorry. It started so well, but then school came back and now everything's a mess. Bluh. Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

I woke up a few days later to my motherfucking phone beeping at me. 

**-HEY FUCKASS i SLIPPED SOME POT INTO THE BROWNIE BATTER WHILE JOHN WASN'T LOOKING AND THEN HE WENT TO WORK. GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE AND EAT THESE WITH ME.-**

I texted him back to say I was on my way and got dressed, then snuck out the front door so I didn't interrupt anyone while they were gettin' their sleep on. I shut the door as quietly as I could and started walking toward Karbro's place. Luckily for me, it wasn't that far away, just about a mile.

By the time I got to his floor, I was pretty excited to eat those motherfuckin' brownies. I knocked eagerly, and Karkat let me in, peeking around the hall.

"Looks like you got started without me." I said, somewhat resentful, when I saw that there was already part of the brownies missing.

"Shut the fuck up, Gamz, at least I didn't fucking eat it all before you got your lazy ass over here. Now sit your ass down and watch this show with me, it's stupid as fuck but fun to get high too." I sat down at the coffee table with him, and he handed me a motherfuckin' brownie. I took a bite and chewed slowly. IT wasn't the best I'd ever had, it kinda tasted like a box mix. But soon enough, I learned how effective it was, because suddenly that annoying motherfucker in my head wasn't saying a motherfuckin' thing, and I was enraptured by the colors on the screen.

"Damn, these motherfuckers are all sparkly and shit," I told my best motherfuckin' bro, eyes riveted to the television.

"Yeah... They're also round as fuck... An' when they bump into each other... They fart." He looked at me all serious and shit, and when I looked back, we both starting giggling like motherfuckin' schoolgirls or some shit.

"What the fuck is this miraculous motherfuckin' show called, my brother?"

"Boobahs or something. It's for fuckin' babies but I got high to it once and it blew my fucking mind."

"Sweet."

We ate the rest of the brownies, and watched a lot of motherfuckin' kiddie shows, and hurriedly washed the brownie pan in case Karbro's boyfriend came home early. Then Karkat leaned against me a little, and I petted him like I always did when we got high.

"Man..." He closed his eyes. "I don't... I don't know what to... do."

"What do you mean, bro?"

"It's... It's John, he... Likes me or something, I don't understand. We make out sometimes, and it's.... It's like he really genuinely fucking likes me. Like, he strokes my cheek and, fuckin'... Holds me when we watch his shitty movies, and he answers my questions, no matter how often he has to say the same fuckin' things, and... What do I fuckin' do?"

"Do you like this motherfucker?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then what's the motherfuckin' problem, bro? Just keep doin' what you're doin'. Obviously he likes it."

"The problem is I don't fuckin' understand why he fuckin' likes me. I'm a failure and a fuck up and a loser and we've only dated for like seven fucking months and he took me in and is supporting me. Like, he works hard and pays bills and feeds me and fuckin', I stay here and get high sometimes, or just sit here watching shitty tv and complaining." He started to get excited, so I papped him comfortingly on the forehead.

"Shoosh, motherfucker. If you wanna know, then ask him. I ain't got my know on about what goes on in that bouncy motherfucker's head."

"Well why do YOU like me?"

"I dunno. I just up and do. Knowin' takes the miracles outta life, man."

He snorted. "Like what?"

"Like me finally up and talkin' to Cute Library Boy." I grinned at him, and he looked at me inquisitively. "His name is Tavros, and I gave him my number."

"Has he texted you yet?"

"Naw, bro, he's up and got a final to study for. He's got big motherfuckin' dreams of doin' something with animals."

"Nice, nice. Do you like him, now that you've, like, met him and shit?"

"Yeah, bro. He makes me happier than... Shit, bro, I can't think of a motherfuckin' simile."

"Metaphor?"

"Whatever the fuck, I can't think of one. He just makes me real motherfuckin' happy."

"Fuckin' finally. 'Bout fuckin' time you were happy." Karbro mumbled, and then he was asleep. I patted him on the head again and stood up. It was probably time to motherfuckin' head back to Mo's.

~~~

When I got back, I decided to hit up the kitchen. I was still hungry as a motherfucker. When I went in, though, Mo smacked me with a spatula.

"Ow, fuck!" I rubbed the back of my hand and stared down at the little motherfucker who was still threatenin' me.

"Where the fuck have you been?" She demanded. "I stopped by your room ta tell ya the washer was free if you have anything for it, and you were gone! No note! No nothing! Just gone!" I looked around and saw that Eridan dude sipping coffee, and tried to get him to help me with my eyes. It didn't work. Mo whacked me again to get my attention.

"I went to my bro's place." I whined, and she frowned even harder at me. For bein' a foot shorter than me, she was scary as a motherfuck.

"You could have left a note so I'd know where you were!"

"Jesus, Maddie, he's not a fuckin' kid. He can handle himself. He doesn't need you ta be his fuckin' mother." Eridan said, sounding as though he was tired of hearing her voice.

"Fuck you, Ampora, I can mother him if I fuckin' want, and I can certainly get upset about not knowing where he fuckin' is since when I first met him he was in a gutter. How was I to know he wasn't off somewhere dying?"

"You..." I paused, trying to think through the pot. "You were worried?" She whirled on me.

"Of course I was worried! Jesus fuck, Christ on a cracker! I may not have known you long, but you're still part of this fucked up family of mine, so I'd appreciate it if you'd just let me be your family too, and not just your nosy landlady." She put her hands on her hips, and I scartched the back of my head.

"Evven if you don't wwant her to be family, she'll nevver fuckin' givve up." Eridan advised me. "She'll just keep on an' keep on. Evventually it'll happen, and then you're stuck wwith her."

"Again, Ampora, shut the fuck up. Ain't nobody talkin' ta you."

"Wwhat're ya gonna do? Hit me wwith a spatula?" He sneered.

"How about I just-"

"Sorry, sis." I interrupted. The two of them seemed real motherfuckin' close to some serious jailtime, and I didn't want this place to fall apart when I just motherfuckin' got here. She turned to me and sighed.

"Just don't do it again, okay?" I pap her on the head.

"Can motherfuckin' do, sis. Want some help with dinner?" I asked distracting her while Ampora absconded. 

"Sure sure, Gamzee." She turned away and went to the fridge.

~~~

Mo ended up doing almost all the actual cooking, while I just motherfuckin' washed dishes again, but Mo was movin' so quick around the kitchen I didn't wanna slow her down. So when she joined me at the sink to dry and put away some plates, I was startled.

"Hey, dude, um... What's goin' on in your life?" She asked.

"Oh, just visited some friends today, then came back home to eat some of your miraculous food and then get my sleep on. I got nothin' really goin' on. Why?"

"Um... Aradia, my friend? The one I started this house with? She's, um, she's been in the hospital for a while. Her boyfriend stays here, Equius? He went to visit her like he and I usually do every week, but I stayed here to wait for you to either come back or be found and... When he came back he went straight up to his room and called his best friend. I figured he was just, ya know, needing some alone time. Maybe he just felt like it was lewd of him to visit his girlfriend alone and be alone with her. He's always so concerned about propriety, and she never was. He's just... He... He's head over heels for that girl. They were going to get married and just..." She sighed heavily, her voice shaking. "She died today. He came down to talk to me about it. Her vitals were falling, so he just held her. While she died, I mean. He held her, and he said he didn't even bruise her. He says he's all better now, doesn't need me anymore. He's moving out to go live with Nepeta. When I told Sollux she died, they were friends from a young age, when I told him, he stormed off to his room and hasn't come out or made a sound since." She wiped a tear off her cheek. "I-"

"Mo." Mo looked up at me, and I hugged her. She cried on my chest while I rubbed her back. "It's gonna be okay, motherfucker." She shook her head, and I blinked. I may have been high, but something was off. Dude, Mo... Your hair was two colors." She leaned away from me and touched the side of hair that used to be copper colored.

"Yeah, he... He noticed, and he didn't like it." She sniffled, then sneered mockingly. "He said it looked stupid, and if I'm gonna act like a mom, I should look like one as wwell."

"Wait... That Eridan motherfucker? That's the guy you've been trying to impress?"

"Not so much impress as test to see whether or not he just pretends I'm... Someone else. The answer is, he does of course." She hung her head a little. "I try so hard... I've always tried hard... I can never be what he wants..." I pat her on the head.

"Fuck him."

"I have... We're sorta dating."

"No, I mean he can motherfuckin' go to hell." She patted my arm.

"I appreciate that, sugar, but there's no sense in you getting all riled up on my behalf. Maybe I'm reading too much into things." She shrugged. "Oh, tomorrow, you and I are going to sit down and look over the job applications to figure out where you need to apply."

"Mo, I-"

"I'm sorry, but that's the rule, and you don't want to stay at that fast food dump, right?"

"Right..."

"So it's official, tomorrow we're job-hunting." She smiled triumphantly and went back to drying motherfuckin' dishes.

"..." I wasn't completely sure if she changed the subject to stop me talkin' about Ampora, or if she'd talked about Ampora to make me less motherfuckin' inclined to ignore that the subject had changed. I decided to motherfuckin' let it go.

~~~

The next morning, I woke up to a bottle of water and some asprin on my bedside table, and a note that said to go to the kitchen when I woke up. I drank some water, took an asprin, and went to the kitchen as motherfuckin' instructed. Mo was waiting, and she smiled at me when she saw me.  
"Oh, good, you're up. How are you feeling?"  
"Like a motherfuckin' steamroller got all up in my thinkpan." I asnwered, and she nodded.  
"Drugs, man. Anyway, so I have a few applications here I think you'd be interested in."  
"Like what, sis?" I sat down, and she slid a couple of them over to me.  
"A couple of comic book stores, and that library we stopped by the other day." She leaned over. "I've been in that shop a couple of times and I don't think the management really cares if you get high, so long as you smoke out back and away from the comics. This one is a little more strict, but I don't suspect you'd have too much trouble adjusting to their rules. As for the library, that's mostly nights, restocking shelves and whatnot."  
"Huh... I guess I'll up and apply to all three. They all sound pretty motherfuckin' good." She grinned at me.  
"That's the spirit! Do you know how to fill out an application?" I nodded, and she smiled and went to the stove and started cooking.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry, I lost everything (including motivation) for this story so I'm gonna post what I could come up with and then just tell y'all what was supposed to happen.

Mo had been right, the comic book store owner didn't give a fuck what I did, so long as I was coherent enough to ring customers up when they came through the store for something. It was actually really great for me, and the atmosphere was chill enough that I could relax at work and go a little longer between toke breaks.   
  
"Go on an' have yourself a miraculous fuckin' day," I grinned lazily at my latest customer, and watched her walk out with her figurine painting kits, popping the cash register open to count out the money again. I was always real bad at math, on account of I tended to get distracted and lose track of numbers, so when I had something to keep track of I counted often. I guess, in a person with their shirt tucked in, it might look like some kind of motherfuckin' compulsion, but Karbro always says it just looks like I forgot I already counted the money.   
  
As I wrote down the total in the register, plus how many of each bill or coin was in there just to be sure, I heard the door ding open. When I looked up to see who it was, I grinned wider. It was the Library Cutie, Tavros or whatever. He was with some guy, his dad probably, and they were gettin' their talk on in some language I didn't know while Tavros wheeled his chair to the trading card section. I waited patiently for them to roll up, killing time by looking to be sure my nails were clean and even. They usually were, because Karkat firmly believes I need someone to take care of me, but hey. It never hurts to check.   
  
"Hello, I'd like to buy these ca- Gamzee?" I looked up and smiled.   
  
"Hey, Tavbro, what's shakin'?"   
  
"Tavros, you know this guy?" 

"Yeah, he's the- Uh, okay, so, Gamzee this is my dad. Dad, Gamzee's the guy who talked to me at the library that time."   
  
"The one who distracted your studies." He blinked at me, givin' me a real salty face, and I shifted nervously. I didn't like that look.   
  
"No, Dad, the one who kept me from having a nervous breakdown." Tavros corrected gently, and my gaze flicked to him.   
  
"Eh, I do what I can." I told him, shrugging my shoulders a little, and he grinned at him.   
  
"What you can do now is ring us up." His dad said, putting the cards on the table, and I nodded and rung them up, ignoring Tavros' grumpy look at his pops. I wasn't gonna push the guy, not when he was obviously so close with the guy who gets my brain all up and squishified like mac and cheese. The thought only made me crave mac and cheese. Maybe I could get some on the way home tonight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so my plan with this story was that Gamzee was going to live at Sacred Heart a little longer, get serious with Tav, and then move out to find an apartment for rent with Karkat because John was going to break up with Karkat and Gamzee didn't want his best friend being all alone. The story was going to end with them moving to their new place and getting settled, and I am so so sorry that this is ll I have to give you.
> 
> Feel free to shoot me an ask on Tumblr at rebuildingwithmyhayseed.tumblr.com for anything, and maybe I'll even find somebody willing to take over the story and finish it up right. I love you guys, have a great day!

**Author's Note:**

> Pardon all the time it's taking to update, Mo decided she wanted her own storyline. I'm working it all out as fast as I can.
> 
> Send me an ask at rebuildingwithmyhayseed.tumblr.com


End file.
